Airport performance differences require a better understanding of the sources of efficiency and competitive advantages. Globalization drives the air transport industry into a more market-orientated business questioning the relationship between managerial decisions and airport performance. Aviation management studies do not consider managerial capabilities and skills since they are intangible exogenous factors that are difficult to assess. In this study, a stochastic frontier analysis is performed accounting for top managers' theoretical knowledge and experience enclosed as exogenous drivers of airports' efficiency. The model analyses 12 Polish airports from 2009 to 2017. The results show a diversity of airports with a different number of passengers as efficient. The top managers' experience, when gained in the same airport, has a positive impact on airports' technical efficiency. Airports having unstable management are more technically inefficient. Independently of the efficiency level, some airports change their management after the national elections, suggesting that managers are chosen by political interest rather than by their specialised knowledge or their prior experience in aviation management. The results suggest that more practical knowledge improve airports’ performance. Airports with a majority of government ownership that are the largest ones increase their efficiency significantly, suggesting that political decisions may be discriminatory in detriment of airports managed by regional and city authorities.

机场性能差异需要更好地了解效率和竞争优势的来源。全球化推动航空运输业发展成为一个以市场为导向的业务，从而质疑管理决策与机场绩效之间的关系。航空管理研究不考虑管理能力和技能，因为它们是难以评估的无形的外在因素。在这项研究中，进行了随机前沿分析，解释了高层管理人员的理论知识和经验作为机场效率的外在驱动因素。该模型分析了2009年至2017年的12个波兰机场。结果显示，效率不同的旅客数量不同的机场也很有效。在同一机场获得高层管理人员的经验后，对机场的技术效率产生积极影响。管理不稳定的机场在技术上效率更低。与效率水平无关，某些机场在全国大选后改变了管理方式，这表明管理人员的选择是出于政治利益，而不是其专业知识或他们在航空管理方面的先前经验。结果表明，更多的实践知识可以改善机场的绩效。具有最大政府所有权的机场是最大的机场，其效率显着提高，这表明政治决策可能会歧视地区和城市当局管理的机场。与效率水平无关，某些机场在全国大选后改变了管理方式，这表明管理人员的选择是出于政治利益，而不是其专业知识或他们在航空管理方面的先前经验。结果表明，更多的实践知识可以改善机场的绩效。具有最大政府所有权的机场是最大的机场，其效率显着提高，这表明政治决策可能会歧视地区和城市当局管理的机场。与效率水平无关，某些机场在全国大选后改变了管理方式，这表明管理人员的选择是出于政治利益，而不是其专业知识或他们在航空管理方面的先前经验。结果表明，更多的实践知识可以改善机场的绩效。具有最大政府所有权的机场是最大的机场，其效率显着提高，这表明政治决策可能会歧视地区和城市当局管理的机场。结果表明，更多的实践知识可以改善机场的绩效。具有最大政府所有权的机场是最大的机场，其效率显着提高，这表明政治决策可能会歧视地区和城市当局管理的机场。结果表明，更多的实践知识可以改善机场的绩效。具有最大政府所有权的机场是最大的机场，其效率显着提高，这表明政治决策可能会歧视地区和城市当局管理的机场。